Warp beam winding arbor



April 25, 1967 A. B. STOREY 3,315,906

- WARP BEAM WINDING ARBOR Original Filed Nov. 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR A.B.5TORE A ril 25, 1967 A. B. STOREY 3,315,906

WARP BEAM WINDING ARBOR I Original Filed Nov. 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ABSTOREY ATTQRNEY United States Patent 3,315,906 WARP BEAM WINDING ARBOR Alvin B. Storey, Charlotte, N.C., assignor to Celanese Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Ser. No. 399,124, Aug. 28, 1964, which is a division of application Ser. No. 855,868, Nov. 27, 1959, now Patent No. 3,173,624, dated May 16, 1965. This application Nov. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 517,205

9 Claims. (Cl. 242-4621) This application is a continuation of application Serial Number 399,124 filed August 28, 1964, now abandoned, which application in turn is a division of application Serial Number 855,868, filed November 27, 1959, now Patent Number 3,173,624.

This invention relates to warp beams, and in particular to light-weight tricot beams, as well as to a winding arbor therefor.

Warp or tricot beams as generally employed by the textile industry are bobbin or spool-like structures on which yarn to be woven or knitted into a fabric is wound and from which it may be unwound during a weaving or knitting operation. A beam of this type basically comprises a tubular barrel to the opposite ends of which are attached a pair of annular flanges or heads of considerably larger diameter than the outer diameter of the barrel. Special means are usually provided for removably affixing the adjusted heads to the barrel, which means, are, however, fairly complex and comprise a great number of separate parts, rendering the assembly, adjustment and disassembly of the beams difficult and time-consuming.

Another disadvantage attendant the use of the known constructions of the aforesaid type is that such beams are neccessarily quite heavy. This is a serious drawback especially where shipment of the beams in international trade is involved, since in such cases the costs of the shipment depend on the total weight of the beams and the yarn wound thereon. The larger weight of the beams is likewise a further disadvantage in the reshipment of the empty beams from the yarn user to the yarn manufacturer.

Still another disadvantage attendant the use of the known beam constructions is that the complicated nature of the beam-adjusting and aflixing means effectively makes disconnection of the heads or flanges from the barrel cumbersome and impractical. Since the costs of reshipping empty beams from the yarn user to the yarn manufacturer or supplier are also based on the volume of each beam and the volume taken by each beam when the flanges or heads are attached to the barrel is considerable, the reshipment costs tend to become prohibitively high.

Referring again to the weight question, it has been proposed in some of the known beam constructions to reduce the overall weight of each beam by reducing the thickness of the associated flanges or heads. This expedient, however, in solving one problem brought about another and more troublesome one, in that it was found that the reduced thickness flanges were no longer strong enough, during a yarn-windin g operation, to withstand the tremendous lateral pressures exerted thereon by the yarn being wound on the beam. These flanges were subject to considerable deflection and distortion and sometimes even broke during winding operations, resulting in substantial losses of time, labor, money and, of course, yarn. Attempts were made to rectify this defect by the provision of ribs, grids and other reinforcing structures on the beam flanges, but these proved unsatisfactory inasmuch as they increased the weight thereof and of the complete beam.

In this connection, too, it has been found that the 3,315,906 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 lateral pressures exerted by the fully wound yarn on the beam flanges after the winding operation has been completed are often sufficient to cause warping or distortion of the flanges and/or the barrel to such an extent as to render the same unfit for further use. The reason for this is apparently the fact that in the known constructions no means are provided for enabling the flanges to yield slightly under these pressures.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a novel construction for a light-weight warp or tricot beam which enables the heretofore encountered disadvantages and drawbacks of known beams to be eflicaciously overcome.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a beam construction which is characterized by an extremely low weight and by a novel and greatly simplified manner of mounting the flanges or heads on the barrel for the purpose of facilitating connection of the flanges to and disconnection of the flanges from the barrel.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of warp beams as aforesaid with flanges or heads the thickness of which decreases from the barrel circumference radially outwardly, in conjunction with means for completely rigidifying the flanges during yarn-winding operations.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of warp or tricot beams in which the flanges or heads have a limited amount of play axially of the barrel at all times except during a winding operation.

Concurrently, it is also an object of the present invention to provide a beam-supporting arbor for use during yarn-winding operations, which arbor is equipped with at least one pair of flange-engaging face plates adapted to be clamped against the respective flanges during winding operations so as to impart to the flanges the desired structural rigidity and resistance to deflection.

The foregoing and other objects, characteristics, and advantages of the present invention will become fully clear from the following detailed description thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a warp or tricot beam constructed in accordance with the present invention, one of the flanges or heads of the beam being omitted to illustrate some of the constructional details of the beam barrel;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the beam shown in FIGURE 1, the view being taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded side view of an arbor adapted to be employed, in accordance with the present invention, for supporting the beam shown in FIGURE 1 during a yarn-winding operation, the face plates being omitted for clarity;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of a flange-engaging face plate adaped to be mounted on the arbor shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 in FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of a beam as shown in FIGURE I mounted on and clamped to the arbor shown in FIGURE 3 preparatory to a winding operation.

Referring first to FIGURES 1, 2 and 7 of the drawings, it will be seen that a warp or tricot beam 10 according to the present invention comprises a tubular ;barrel 11 and a pair of annular flanges or heads 12 connected to the opposite ends thereof. Both the barrel 11 and the flanges 12 are made of very light-weight metal, preferably aluminum or aluminum alloys. The connections or joints between the barrel 11 and the flanges 12 are effected by means of a pair of ring members 13 positioned in the barrel end regions and welded, as shown at 13' and in a manner still to be described, to a plurality of metal discs or plugs 14 located, respectively, in a plurality of peripherally spaced openings or holes 15 formed in the barrel adjacent the opposite ends thereof. Although in the illustrated embodiment of the invention the barrel is provided with six such openings adjacent each end, spaced from one another 60, it will be understood that different numbers of the openings 15 may be provided. The openings 15 are formed by stamping the discs or plugs 14 directly from the barrel 11, for a purpose which will be more fully explained presently.

The annular flange 12 at each end of the barrel 11 comprises a relatively thick central section 12a and an outer section 12b the thickness of which decreases in a direction radially outwardly of the flange. To this end, the outer face 12c of the flange section 12b is inclined relative to the plane inner and yarn-engaging face 12d of the flange section 1212. In its center, the flange 12 is provided with an axial aperture 15 at two diametrically opposed points of which are provided slots or keyways 16a. The flange 12 is further provided at its inner face 12d with an annular projecting ridge 12a substantially at the juncture between the sections 12a and 1212, the ridge 12a merging into the section 12a by means of a slanted or beveled surface 12 which also reinforces the central portion of the flange. The radial thickness of the ridge 12a is equal to that of the barrel wall and the inner and outer diameters of the ridge are equal to the inner and outer diameters of the barrel.

If the line of joinder between flange and barrel were at the flat face 12d of the flange it would not be possible to cover the joinder with tape or the like to prevent the yarn from being damaged by the line of joinder. The provision of ridge 12c serves to space the line of joinder from the flat face 12d so that this line of joinder can be covered, as described more fully hereinafter.

As clearly shown in FIGURE 1, the flange is attached to the ring member 13 by means of a plurality of cap screws 17. The ring member 13 is substantially cupshaped and comprises an annular web portion 18 provided with a central opening 19, and a peripheral flange portion 20 extending substantially perpendicularly to the web portion 18. The flange portion 20 of the ring member 13 is welded, as shown at 13', to the six discs or plugs 14 which were stamped out of the barrel 11 during the formation of the openings or holes 15. For the purpose of manufacture, it will be understood that after the barrel 11 has been formed, preferably by an extrusion or drawing operation, and the holes or openings 15 cut thereinto, the ring members 13 are inserted into the opposite ends of the barrel. The plugs 14 are then repositioned in their respective holes 15, whereupon they are welded to the respective peripheral edges of the flange portions 20 of the ring members 13 from the interior of the barrel 11 by means of welding techniques which are well known and constitute no part of the present invention.

In order to ensure a secure connection between the flange 12 and the ring member 13, the web portion 18 of the latter is thickened at six locations 21 corresponding to the locations at which the cap screws 17 are to pass through the said web portion, whereby a better holding surface for the screws is provided. The outermost face of the web portion 18 and the outer face of the flange portion 20 are connected by a slanted or bevel surface 22 the angularity of which is such that when the inner face of the center section 12a of the flange 12 is drawn tightly against the outer face of the web portion 18, the ridge 12c is spaced slightly from the end edge of the barrel 11. This spacing is very slightly smaller than, or at best just as large as, the amount of axial play of the plugs 14 in their respective holes 15. From the foregoing it will be understood that the ring member 13, although permanently attached to the barrel 11, can move limited distances axially of the barrel, as a result of which the flange 12, when aflixed to the ring member by means of the screws 17, can move similarly relative to the barrel. The purpose of this movement will be more specifically referred to hereinafter.

It will also be understood from the foregoing that when it is desired to disconnect the flanges 12 from the barrel 11, for example, either during storage of the beam when not in use or during reshipment thereof when empty from the yarn user to the yarn manufacturer or supplier, it is merely necessary to remove the cap screws 17. This construction, which avoids the use of nuts, tie rods, multiple-threaded bushings and other auxiliary structures characteristic of the known beam constructions, is particularly advantageous since, apart from ensuring a secure connection of the flanges to the barrel and facilitating rapid mounting of the flanges on and demounting of the flanges from the barrel, it effects a considerable reduction in the overall weight of the beam, thereby rendering possible a substantial reduction in shipping costs as well as in capital outlay. In addition, even with the flanges removed therefrom, as during return of the empty beam, the ends of the barrel are reinforced by the flange portion 20 of the ring member 13; this is especially beneficial since it permits the barrel to be made of very thin metal without fear of damage.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a special anbor construction which will now be described in connection with FIGURES 3 to 7.

Referring first to FIGURES 3 and 4, it will be seen that the arbor 23 according to the present invention comprises a tubular body 24 which is provided adjacent one end with external threads 25'. Adjacent its other end, the arbor body 24 carries an annular disc or abutment plate 26 which is welded to the body 24 as shown at 27. At two diametrically opposed locations the arbor body 24 is provided with key ledges 28 which extend from the abutment plate or disc 26 substantially up to the threads 25 at the other end of the body 24. The threads 25 are adapted to receive a nut 2-9 which may be hexagonal as shown or may be otherwise constructed, for example, circular with peripherally spaced wrench indents or the like. Although not so illustrated in FIG- URE 3, the arbor 23 is adapted to support a pair of face plates 30 the purpose of which is to engage the outer faces of the beam flanges 12 when the beam is mounted on the arbor, as will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to FIGURE 7. Referring now to FIG- URES 5 and 6-, it will be seen that each face plate 30 comprises a rigid body 31 one face 32 of which is flat and the other face 3 3 of which is substantially concavely shaped, having a flat center portion 33aand a slanted outer portion 33b, in a manner complementary to the shape of the outer face of each beam flange 12. In its center the body 31 is provided with an opening 34 adapted to receive the arbor body 24, the opening 34 to this end being provided at two diametrically opposed locations with a pair of key grooves 35.

The use and operation of the warp or tricot beam and the winding arbor arrangement according to the present invention thus are as follows:

In preparing for winding yarn onto the beam 10, assuming the latter to have been completed by the attaching thereto of the two heads or flanges 12 through the intermediary of the cap screws 17, a first face plate 30, indicated at the lefthand side of FIGURE 7, is fitted onto the arbor body 24 with the flat face 32 of the plate engaging the inner face of the abutment plate or disc 26 which is welded to the arbor body at one end of the latter. The beam 10 is now mounted on the arbor 23, with the keys 28 of the latter engaging in the keyways or grooves 164: of the two beam heads or flanges 12.

The beam is advanced onto the arbor until the outer face of the lefthand flange 12 fits snugly into and against the concave face 33 of the plate 30.

The second face plate 30, indicated at the righthand side of FIGURE 7, is now fitted onto the arbor 23 until its concave face 33 engages the mating outer face of the righthand beam flange 12. The nut 29 is then screwed onto the threaded end region 25 of the arbor and tightened against the outer flat face of the plate 30. If desired, a lock nut (not shown) may also be screwed onto the threaded arbor region 25 and against the nut 29. At this point, therefore, it will be seen that the beam is securely clamped between the face plates 30 which in turn are securely clamped in position between the nut 29 and the abutment plate 26. Any possible axial play of the flanges and plugs inwardly of the barrel is now fully taken up.

The entire assembly of beam and arbor is now substantially ready for a winding operation and may be transferred as a unit to any suitable driving device adapted to rotate the arbor 23 and, through the intermediary of the keys 28 and keyways 16a and 35, the beam 10 at the selected wind-up speed. Only one further precaution need be taken in view of the fact that tricot yarns especially are generally very fragile and subject to being nicked and damaged by coming into contact with unrounded edges or by being caught and snagged in cracks or the like. To avoid this possibility, a strip of very thin masking tape or the like, indicated schematically at 36 in FIGURES 1 and 7, may be wound about the barrel 11 at each end region thereof so as to cover the gaps formed between the barrel ends and the flange ridges 12c and between the discs or plugs 14 and their respective holes or openings 15. The tape should be of such a character that its outer face is completely smooth and devoid of adhesive, so as to prevent any possibility of the yarn sticking thereto, and the tape should also be so thin as to bring about no appreciable increase in the outer diameter of the barrel 11 at the end regions thereof.

From the foregoing it will be understood that as yarn is wound onto the beam 10 during rotation of the latter, this yarn, even though it will exert considerable lateral pressures against the beam flanges 12, will be unable to displace the latter axially of the barrel due to their being clamped between the face plates 30'. Moreover, inasmuch as the face plates together with their respective beam flanges 12 constitute a pair of substantially rigid and inflexible units, the beam flanges will not be bent or distorted in any way regardless of the magnitude of the lateral pressures exerted by the yarn during the winding thereof onto the beam 10.

When the winding operation has been completed, the beam and arbor combination is removed from the winding mechanism, whereupon the nut 29 is unscrewed and the adjacent face plate 30 removed from the anbor 23, so as to permit the beam to be slid off the arbor and transferred to a storage or shipping location. As this is done, it will be understood that the wound yarn still exerts considerable pressures on the beam flanges. If these flanges, therefore, were unyieldingly attached to the barrel 11, they might be distorted and rendered unfit for further use and possibly even to such an extent as to seriously damage the yarn wound onto the beam. It is this potential defect which is avoided in accordance with the present invention by the provision of the slight amount of play between the plugs 14 and their respective holes or openings 15. Thus, as soon as the first face plate is moved from its associated beam flange 12, the yarn forces the two flanges 12 axially outwardly of the barrel for a short distance, whereby the compression of the yarn between the beam flanges is relaxed somewhat, which reduces the lateral pressures exerted by the yarn so as to inhibit any possibility of distortion of the beam flanges.

As hereinbefore indicated, the fully wound beam 10 will weigh considerably less than any of the known beams wound with an equivalent amount of yarn, due to the reduced weight of the beam flanges and due to the elimination of complicated and bulky flange-attaching devices and the use in lieu thereof of the small and light-weight cap screws 17. Since a very thin, light-weight barrel may be used when operating in accordance with the invention, much of the weight is in the flanges and the reduction in flange weight results in a significant reduction in the weight of each beam. Furthermore, when a number of empty beams are to be reshipped by the yarn user to the yarn supplier or manufacturer, the flanges may be very easily removed from the associated beam barrels by simply removing the cap screws 17, as a result of which the barrels 11 and flanges 12 can be stacked and shipped independently of one another and take up a combined volume which is substantially less than the volume which would be occupied by all the beams together if the flanges were not removed therefrom.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Winding arbor for use with a warp beam having a pair of yarn-engaging flanges comprising:

(a) an elongated body externally threaded at one end;

(b) an abutment plate aflixed to said body substantially at the other end of the latter, said body being provided on its exterior with at least one guide arrangement extending from said abutment plate substantially up to the threads at said one end of said body;

(c) a pair of face plat-es having complementary means cooperating with said guide arrangement removably mounted on said body at spaced locations and adapted to engage the outer faces of said yarn-engaging flanges of said warp beam when the latter is located on said body intermediate said face plates, with complementary means on said flanges cooperating with said guide arrangement; and

(d) nut means screwed onto the threaded end of said arbor body for engagement with the associated face plate, whereby said beam when mounted on said arbor is clamped in a position with said face plates strengthening and preventing yarn-induced distortion of said beam flanges, the face plates and beam flanges rotating together and cooperating as a unit during beaming.

2. Winding arbor according to claim 1, said body being tubular, and said abutment plate being annular and welded to the exterior of said body.

3. Winding arbor according to claim 2 wherein said guide arrangement is a key ledge and said complementary means are keyways.

4. Winding arbor according to claim 2 wherein each of said yarn-engaging flanges has a center section and an outer section, said outer section decreasing in thickness radially outwardly of said center section.

5. Winding arbor according to claim 4 wherein said center section and said outer section have inner and outer faces, said outer face of said outer section tapering toward the inner face of the outer section whereby each of said flanges decreases in thickness radially outwardly of the center section thereof.

6. Winding arbor according to claim 2 wherein each face plate has a flat outer face and a substantially concave inner face, said inner face having a flat center portion and a slanted outer portion, in a manner complementary to the shape of the outer face of said flange.

7. In combination with a warp beam comprising a tubular barrel, and a pair of yarn-engaging flanges yield- 7 ingly connected to said barrel at the opposite ends of the latter, a winding arbor according to claim 2.

8. Combination according to claim 7 wherein said guide arrangement is a key ledge and said complementary means are keyways.

9. The combination according to claim 7 wherein each flange has a center section and an outer section, said No references cited.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

G. F. MAUTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. WINDING ARBOR FOR USE WITH A WARP BEAM HAVING A PAIR OF YARN-ENGAGING FLANGES COMPRISING: (A) AN ELONGATED BODY EXTERNALLY THREADED AT ONE END; (B) AN ABUTMENT PLATE AFFIXED TO SAID BODY SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE OTHER END OF THE LATTER, SAID BODY BEING PROVIDED ON ITS EXTERIOR WITH AT LEAST ONE GUIDE ARRANGEMENT EXTENDING FROM SAID ABUTMENT PLATE SUBSTANTIALLY UP TO THE THREADS AT SAID ONE END OF SAID BODY; (C) A PAIR OF FACE PLATES HAVING COMPLEMENTARY MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID GUIDE ARRANGEMENT REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY AT SPACED LOCATIONS AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE OUTER FACES OF SAID YARN-ENGAGING FLANGES OF SAID WARP BEAM WHEN THE LATTER IS LOCATED ON SAID BODY INTERMEDIATE SAID FACE PLATES, WITH COMPLEMENTARY MEANS ON SAID FLANGES COOPERATING WITH SAID GUIDE ARRANGEMENT; AND 